A “warrior” is defined as ” a person engaged or experienced in warfare; a soldier; a person who shows or has shown great vigor and courage.” In other words, a Realtor!

Who among us agents has not shown courage and vigor by simply staying in Atlanta’s local market? In 2012, our market will be constantly changing, just as it was in 2011.

If you are looking for a “warrior” agent, I’m the one! Pick up the phone or send me an email or text. Let me show you that I’m ready! Set your goals and soar with me!!!

One of the new trends in real estate is not “big” (as in the mini-mansions of 2004), but more personal space (as in Owners’ Suite or Sun Porch). Anything that gives an Atlanta homeowner more bang for their buck, is hot right now.

People are always asking me what their home is “worth”.  Atlanta’s houses may not fetch the same price as they did 5-7 years ago, but what is making them hot and sell quickly, are the features that the owners have enjoyed, while living in their homes. Do you have outdated wallpaper or a master bath that feels like a spa? Do you have a living room no one enjoys or a sunporch that the kids use or one in which you like to curl up with a book?

I can help you modify your home to show off its assets and get it ready to sell. Call me, your Atlanta Realtor: Simply Done and always at your service!

Brookhaven Ashford Park Sun Porch

Ashford Park Elementary School will hold its annual fall festival November 5. The festival will be at Brookhaven’s Ashford Park Elementary School from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $15 for an armband that will provide access to the rides and games, which include jumpies, carnival games, face painting, a cake walk and shopping vendors.

Isn’t it time that our elected officials actually listen to the voters?

Georgia legislators heard residents at a public hearing held at Georgia Tech on June 30, preparing for the upcoming special session of the Georgia General Assembly. This session will be held to redraw the state’s legislative and congressional districts, to better reflect changes in Georgia’s population.

Many of the speakers expressed hope that “communities of interest” – areas which share common beliefs and lifestyles – would be kept in tact during the process. Sen. Fran Millar, a Republican from Dunwoody, said he would like to see the 6th Congressional District redrawn so that it takes in more of DeKalb, including areas now to its south such as Brookhaven and the Smoke Rise community (in Stone Mountain? – that’s not really to the “south” of Dunwoody, Mr. Miller). Dunwoody, is part of the 6th District, and is represented by Republican Rep. Tom Price of Roswell. Brookhaven, Ashford Park and Drew Valley are represented by Rep. Henry Johnson, a Democrat from Lithonia, in the 4th District.

The meeting was the last of 12 public hearings held around the state. On Aug. 15, The state legislature will hold a special session to redraw legislative and Congressional lines, based on the 2010 Census.

I’ve been saying for years, that I wanted to run against Rep. Johnson. Or, rather that someone, anyone, should run against him. If the citizens of Ashford Park, Drew Valley, Murphey Candler and Brookhaven don’t get better representation from Hank, maybe 2012 will be “the” year that I actually do run. Nancy for The House, or Nancy4TheHouse.com – I kind of like the sound of it!

Recently, there have been two town hall meetings to discuss creating a new city in North Georgia. This new city would be the City of Brookhaven.

The first meeting was held on May 24 to introduce the concept of this new city to the area’s homeowners.  GA Representative Mike Jacobs has introduced House Bill 636 to pay for a study by The Vinson Institute of the University of Georgia.

Between now and late October, the Vinson Institute will study:

1. The cost aspects of a City of Brookhaven;
2. The range of services that would be provided by the City of Brookhaven;
3. What would be the capital expenditures for the new city’s assets (parks, town hall, etc);
4. What would be the potential sources of revenue from the new city (wine, liquor, beer; property taxes);
5. What would be the potential revenue sources from franchises serving the City of Brookhaven (cable, gas, telephone);
6. What would the facility and salary costs be for a new city.

The portion of the meeting that I didn’t understand, were the areas to which the study will apply. The areas being considered are: Historic Brookhaven, Murphy Candler, Brittany, Linwood Park, Silver Lake, Brookhaven Heights, Lenox Park and Brookhaven Fields. Another broader section of the study will include Ashford Park and Drew Valley. The latter two, in my opinion, are closer to being a part of a City of Brookhaven, than Murphy Candler, Silver Lake and Brittany. But then, Rep. Jacobs, one of the key proponents, lives in the Murphy Candler area.

One of the points that the organizers made, was that taxes would probably (???) not go up. The residents of Brookhaven would pay less to the county and the balance of the taxes would be made to the new city. In other words, if the City of Brookhaven opts to create its own police and fire departments, tax payers would pay that portion of taxes to the city and deduct it from their county-paid taxes. It is like a basket of services: pick which ones you want, deduct them from the county’s revenue basket and then put them into the City’s basket.

The town-hall leaders asked the city organizers of the newly-created cities of Dunwoody and Sandy Springs  to speak at the May meeting. One of them said that there has not been a tax increase in the 3 years that they have operated the city of Dunwoody and that Dunwoody is operating with a surplus of revenue. It was also said that Dekalb County’s property tax millage rate of 2.5 mils will go up to replenish the county’s reserves, perhaps as high as 4 mils. Dekalb CEO Burrell Ellis recently said that taxes must go up to pay for the county’s services (A “mil” is equal to $1.00 for every $1,000. of the assessed value; in Georgia, the assessment is set at 40% of the market value).

Like many of the town hall attendees, I am not sold on cityhood. I will have to hear what the benefits of a City of Brookhaven would be. Is it just more money out of our pockets?

Chamblee Charter High School now has the funds to rebuild its aging facility, after the DeKalb County Board of Education agreed to use federal funding to replace it, rather than renovate it.

The board unanimously voted to accept $58 million in federal bonds to be sold and then added to the $11 million-plus, Chamblee High has already banked from an ongoing Special Local Option Sales Tax. The facility’s problems led the school to bank more than an $11-million chunk of an ongoing local option sales tax instead of spending the money on repairs. The rationale was that the sales tax revenue would not provide enough to renovate a facility that needed to be replaced.

The aging, high-performing school was established in 1917 and has been rebuilt before. Chamblee Charter High School serves a mix of resident students from the Brookhaven and Chamblee areas, as well as transfer students and high-performing students from across the district who attend the school’s high-achiever magnet program.

The financing will come from a federal bond program designed to make capital improvements at schools. The financing can be either no-interest or low-interest. An interest rate is established based on the rate the bonds are sold. Once the school district sells the bonds, the district will be reimbursed by the federal government for the interest owed on the bonds – up to a certain point – or a tax credit could be issued to investors.

Tickets are now available for the 5th annual Taste of Brookhaven. The event will take place on Saturday, September 18, 6-10pm; tickets are $40 per person. Billed as a neighborhood dinner party, the evening will also feature a silent auction.

The Taste of Brookhaven is sponsored by The Brookhaven Arts Alliance and Fifth Third Bank. The Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, formed to enrich Brookhaven communities, by providing arts education and cultural events for residents and visitors. For more information, visit www.BrookhavenArtsAlliance.org or call 404-266-3426.

Here are 5 great business commandments that a loan officer just sent me:

1. The sale is made on what the client says, not what I say.
2. My clients want a trusted advisor, not a salesperson.
3. Adversity and opportunity are joined at the hip.
4. Never tell a client something I can ask him/her/them.
5. I don’t need twenty ways to close a sale; I need one good way to open a relationship.

If your Atlanta real estate agent does not live by these commandments; I do!!!! Give me a call or send me an email and let’s start a relationship!

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